Cast Off the Cloak
by Usami
Summary: /Tech POV, post 'Cloak of Black Velvet'/ When searching through the darkness, you're bound to stumble a few times.


So about two weeks ago, I finally saw "The Cloak of Black Velvet" episode, and I loved it! It was such a great episode, and Black Velvet automatically became my top-favorite villain. She is so cool, and it was just a great episode.

After watching the episode though (as well as reading certain things about it), I was insipired to write this little piece of work. I know I should be updating "The Evolution Process", but I really wanted to get this out for some reason. Please just give it a chance, okay?

Well, enjoy!

**Cast Off the Cloak**

"Wow…Is Tech meditating again?" That was Lexi.

"Looks like it. Y'know, when I fist showed him how, I didn't really think he'd be this into it." That was Ace.

"Well-y'know-everyone needs-to-take-some-time-and-relax.-But-yeah-Lexi's-right-we-do-see-him-meditating-an-awful-lot-but-I-suppose-even-geniuses-who-spend-most-of-their-time-thinking-could-benefit-from-a-break-like-this." That was Rev.

"Right…because we all know that thinking is just _so_ hard." That was Duck.

"Well-in-Tech's-defense-he-thinks-about-a-lot-more-complex-things.-I-imagine-his-head-is-chock-full-of-all-these-ideas-and-plans-so-I-suppose-it's-understandable-that-it-could-take-him-a-while-to-get-rid-of-them-all." Obviously Rev again.

"How do we know that he's not just working on some weird math problem while he's sitting there?" That was Duck again.

"The point of meditation is to try and clear your head of everything so you're not thinking at all. It's a good way to rest your mind because it helps rid you of troubling thoughts. Then when you come out of the meditation, you can reorganize your thoughts so they aren't so…urm…cluttered." That was Ace again.

"Is that why you taught him how to meditate?" Lexi again.

"Yeah. I thought it could do him some good." Ace again.

There was a collection of grunts and sounds that formed an incoherent question. Slam obviously.

"Nah. No need to bother him. Let's just leave him alone for awhile. C'mon guys." Ace again.

The door hissed open, followed by the sound of footsteps walking away before the door whirled and slammed shut. Now I was alone.

I had heard all the others and comprehended all that they said. The reason was because, even though I appeared to be, I wasn't really in a meditative state. I was trying to, and I wanted to, but I couldn't focus enough to quite reach my desired destination.

As Ace taught me, the easiest way to achieve the meditation status was to focus your mind on a single point or thought. As you concentrate on that one idea, all others would be temporarily forgotten. Eventually even the one detail would fade as the consciousness entered a trance-like position, relaxing the mind and body until the time you return to the world around you.

Unfortunately, I've been having difficulty accomplishing that as of late. For as soon as I close my eyes and try to clear my mind, the dark memories would always return. And while the repetitive thought was the initial step to meditation, the more I contemplated about it, the more complicated my musings became. So while the others perceived the illusion that I was meditating, the truth was that I couldn't because of the dark cloak that still covered me. All because of her.

Black Velvet.

Ever since that eventful encounter with her, thoughts about her continued to consume my mind, questions about her plagued me, and…something even I wasn't sure of remained within me.

There were just some things that I couldn't figure out about her. Some things that I just didn't understand no matter how many times I thought about them. It seemed that the more I thought about her, the further into the darkness I was carried.

She had built an entire ship which she called her dark city in the sky. She had shadow minions at her command with the same dark powers as she possessed. And the goggles she wore appeared to assist her with her vision, though if I had to guess I assumed that she could only see in outlines and shadows. Still the fact remained that those goggles seemed to allow her to see when normally her eyes couldn't.

But where did she get all of those things in the first place? If her eyes had been scarred by the meteor, how could she create all these things? I suppose she could have had access to the technology prior to the crash, but I then had to wonder about her life before; who she was, what she did, what she was like…Yet the more I thought and mused over her, the more unanswered questions I received.

When searching through the darkness, you're bound to stumble a few times.

But eventually your eyes adjust and you become accustomed to seeing in the dark. Granted, vision isn't perfect, but you learn to see through it. And Black Velvet understood that perfectly. After all, she took what she loathed the most, the one thing that really could hinder her – the eternal darkness placed over her eyes – and turned it into her greatest strength.

Regardless of who a person was, I always admired that quality. Unfortunately, she took that strength and used it for evil intent.

Yet I often found myself more understanding to her plight than I wished to be. I had figured out her plan quickly enough, but when she revealed the purpose to me, it surprised me. I mean, I was confounded to learn what had happened to her eyes after the meteor hit, and even though we continued to exchange insults, the sympathy I felt towards her startled me. I began to wonder: was it fair that the six of us received super powers from the meteor which resulted in massive recognition while that same meteor destroyed Black Velvet's sight? After all, if her vision had remained intact, she wouldn't have chosen the path she's taken.

But fair or not, what she did – stealing the Acmetropolis series 5 radar, Acme Super Computer, and Light Wave Eliminator, threatening to use those to throw Acmetropolis into complete darkness, and kidnapping _me _to do so – was wrong. She needs to pay for what she's done, and I was personally going to see to that.

I knew what Ace would say if he ever found out about what I was thinking. Personal missions just weren't done, and for good reason. If we allowed our emotions to cloud our judgment then our performance would be less then adequate because our concentration would be focused on other matters.

But Ace just didn't understand how deeply I've been affected by this. He wasn't there, so he didn't know everything that happened. None of them did. It was just me and Black Velvet.

I believe that was the first time that I had been that directly involved in any of our missions. Normally it was all six of us together. But this was something entirely new, being the only one she captured. For the first in a long time, I was on my own. It was…I can't describe exactly what it was like. The fact that I had been alone distressed me slightly. Yet at the same time…I was strangely intrigued by it.

After all, even one such as I could appreciate how attractive she was.

There was more to it though. There had been other things that I couldn't help but notice that day, such as the way her voice softened as she revealed to me her dark secret, a secret I imagine she would not share with many others. Or how…gentle her touch had been when she held my face. Surprisingly gentle for someone who had been forcing me to do something against my will. And…the warmth of her hand despite the darkness that constantly surrounded her. Maybe…I think…

I think I'm beginning to lose my mind.

What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be thinking this way at all. She was the villain and it was my job – our job – to bring her to justice. That's the way it was, the way it should be. She chose to let the shadows consume more than just her eyes, and for that she needed to answer for what she's done.

But I was beginning to feel that darkness was vastly misunderstood. Darkness was just so synonymic with so many negative aspects when it truly didn't have to be. After all, it was under the black veil that we hide what we don't want others to see. Maybe that's just what Black Velvet wanted to do. Perhaps she just wished to hide beneath the cloak she wanted to create so she wouldn't feel so…vulnerable (an 'attack or be attacked' type situation, I suppose).

Except light was a valuable resource that we need in order to survive. She was no exception to that. So was it right that she would never be able to step into the light again while we continue to take advantage of it?

No. No. Stop. Stop. STOP.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop the feeling of sympathy towards her. I didn't want to feel this way, did I? To feel that her actions were justifiable. I just don't understand what's wrong with me.

And maybe that's what alarmed me the most. As a scientist, I relied on logic and reason in order to comprehend the answer to anything that eluded me. I would develop theories, run tests, look at all possibilities until I could figure out the right solution, the one that made the most sense. But I can't do that in this situation. The fact that my thoughts could have no explanations, and that the more I thought about Black Velvet the more unanswered questions I gained left me feeling…almost frightened.

So I needed something to explain what was going on with me. A way to justify how I was thinking and acting. And I think I – hopefully – found a way to make sense of all this and understand everything.

See, there was one thing that I still haven't mentioned to the others as of yet. Something…that I'm afraid to mention to them because I'm not sure how to discuss it with them. And I don't know how they'll react to the news if I did tell them. That's always the most frightening thing, not knowing. Especially for someone who supposedly knows everything.

The day Black Velvet appeared and stole the items to create her Shroud Caster, she controlled my mind with her Shadow Curse so that I would assist her. The others knew about that. What they _aren't_ aware of is that even though Duck managed to snap me out from under her control, his (rather irritating) cell phone ring wasn't enough to completely rid the influence of her Shadow Curse from my mind.

It wasn't a big issue really. I mean it wasn't enough for my body to be taken over again if she were to return and try to cover Acmetropolis in everlasting darkness like before. But…I'm not sure…It was like a presence in the back of my mind. It was faint – I hardly noticed it when I was busy with other things – but still undoubtedly there. When I was by myself like I am now, I can feel her as though she were beside me and hear her voice ringing in my ears.

So I often wondered; is the understanding towards Black Velvet due to the remaining influence of her Shadow Curse over me? Is the sympathy for her because of the presence I still feel? I mean, what else would it be?

Maybe that's one of the things that should remain a mystery.

Even now Black Velvet's dark cloak covered me in a way that I couldn't free myself from. To this day I believe that there is only one way to be rid of this lingering part of her, and it happens to be beyond my capabilities. I would have to seek her out and get her to reverse the effects.

Until then, I'd have to remain with the shadow she created in my mind, where all my doubts, questions, uncertainties, and confusion allow her to dwell until her inevitable return.

One thing's for certain: I wasn't going to get any real meditating done.

Slowly I allowed my eyes to open as I carefully landed on the ground. Getting off the metal disc I usually sat on when I meditate, I stretched my body and glanced around the empty room.

If any good came out of my encounter with Black Velvet, it's that I learned to appreciate being able to see, and the light in general. Every time she darkened the area when we battled, it made me realize how much I really take my vision for granted, because without it she still held a great advantage over me. I wasn't sure what I'd do if something ever happened to my sight.

When Black Velvet lost her sight, had she been scared at all? Perhaps. That would go right back to the idea that she wanted to darken Acmetropolis before something worse happened to her.

I don't want to be sympathetic. I _don't_.

Sighing softly, I walked over to the window. It sounded a lot like I was just trying to convince myself. Truthfully I still don't know how I want to feel, and it's really frustrating me. As I stared at the dark sky, I could feel the presence in my mind as though it was stirring from slumber, almost as though she was trying to get my attention. And for a moment I imagined she was talking to me.

_Just wait and see, Baby. I'll be back_.

I felt my fist clench tightly. I'll be waiting for your return, Black Velvet, if I don't find you first. Then I'll get the answers I need to rid the shadow you left covering over me.

**The End**

So what did you think? If you couldn't tell, the thing I read about the episode was that a watcher thought that Tech and Black Velvet made a cute couple. And I had read that before watching the episode, so that already influenced how I would watch it. But then afterwards, my sister made a comment that made me think of this, and so I wrote it down. Personally, I thought this turned out pretty well.

But let me know what you think (except no flames please). Hey, maybe if I get a lot of nice reviews, I'll post up the last chapter of "The Evolution Process" soon. Just a thought...


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